Crown Prince Salman reiterates call for local solution

Bahrain’s crown prince has reiterated his call that the solution to the situation in his country had to be local.

“The solution we seek for what Bahrain is going through has to be Bahraini and must be with the participation of all parties keen on protecting their country and on its security, progress and freedom,” Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa said.

The solution has also to be consensual and must include moving out of the current situation towards realising the people’s aspirations for dignity, security, democracy and equality, Prince Salman said as he received the US ambassador to Bahrain, Thomas Krajeski.

The democracy that Bahrain wants to consolidate and deepen is a continuous process that requires extra efforts and the participation of all parties to ensure that it is embedded as a permanent principle in people’s lives, he said, adding that Bahrain had been outstanding in enhancing education, health and women’s rights.
Last month Crown Prince Salman expressed hope for a local solution to the crisis that has hit the country, saying that Bahrainis have consistently succeeded in reaching national accords.

Bahrain and all the civil society organisations that believe in the country as a stable and prosperous nation can together achieve the solution that Bahrainis aspire to have and which will guarantee welfare and a bright future for all segments of the society, he said.

The crown prince last year called for a national dialogue three days into the crisis that hit Bahrain, but received no answer from the opposition. The lack of response eventually led to confrontations and to the imposition of emergency laws in mid-March.

The laws were lifted in June and King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa called for a national dialogue that issued close to 300 recommendations.